The BBC will increase its live sport coverage by up to 1,000 hours a year in what Dir General Tony Hall claims will be the "biggest shake-up in the corporation's sport output strategy this century," according to Martha Kelner of the London GUARDIAN. The increase in free-to-air sport will be seen through the BBC Sport website and BBC iPlayer. Olympic sports including field hockey, swimming and basketball "could be the biggest beneficiaries," with users receiving alerts when their favorite sports are due to be featured online. A BBC insider claimed it would be a "personalised" service and "help raise the profile of minority sports alongside making the most of the events the BBC has existing rights to." The BBC has been "forced to evolve its sporting rights strategy after years of dwindling live coverage owing to cost-saving measures." Hall said, "This shows how we're reinventing the BBC for a new generation." The BBC has "tied down the rights" to the Olympic Games, Wimbledon, World Cup and FA Cup on "long-term deals." The extra coverage will "take advantage of low-cost streaming technology" the BBC has developed since London 2012 (GUARDIAN, 11/2). The BBC's added coverage is an attempt to "reinvent free-to-air sports broadcasting." More than 30 additional sports or sporting events -- including Women's Super League football, the British Basketball League and wheelchair tennis -- will be streamed live via iPlayer and the BBC Sport website. There will also be "more coverage of early rounds of the FA Cup" (BBC).
